New Manager, the always popular Eddie Gray, was given his
instructions. Get back into the First Division as soon as possible.
This was much easier said than done as attendances had sunk
dramatically, wages were still unacceptably high and there was a debt
reported to be in excess of £1.5m.

Gray trod warily bringing in his friend and former United colleague
Jimmy Lumsden as his Assistant and persuaded Syd Owen to return as
chief scout. He also
started reducing the wage bill and the debt by loaning Peter Barnes to
Real Betis for the season, for £130,000, while transferring Welsh
International Winger Carl Harris to Charlton Athletic for £100,000.

There was no immediate wholesale clearance of the playing staff and
although Trevor Cherry, due to suspension, and Kenny Burns, due to
injury, missed the opening 1-1 draw at Grimsby Town, United impressed
on the pitch. Unfortunately, after being warned due to the incidents at
the Hawthorns in the final match of the previous season, the Leeds
followers again caused much damage to the Blundell Road ground as
trouble flared once again. There were warnings of fines and possible
ground closure with disastrous effect on the financially challenged
club, by the United Directors to the so called fans. The warning went
unheeded and there were clashes with Chelsea fans and a ball-bearing
attack on Kevin Keegan and his Newcastle United players. The front page
of the Club Programme for the game against Charlton Athletic on 6th
November was devoted to spelling out the firm views of the club on the
yobs who were putting the club at risk.

“The future of Leeds United Association Football Club hangs in the
balance.

This in no way exaggerates the position and must not be taken as an
idle threat.

Despite repeated pleas and warnings, the mindless actions of a
minority of the club’s so called followers last Saturday have placed an
enormous degree of uncertainty over this great club.

We know from comments received from in the last few days that many
true supporters deplore what took place at the Newcastle game.

And we would ask for the help and co-operation of everyone who have
Leeds United at heart – and we appreciate that this is the majority of
our supporters – to help rid the club of the ‘scab’ element who,
although small in numbers, have caused the club so many problems and
whose loathsome actions now place the very existence of Leeds United in
jeopardy.”

The FA announced that the terraces had to be closed for the next two
home games and that the rest of the stadium was to be all-ticket. The
first of these games against Queens Park Rangers saw a ghostly Elland
Road and the attendance of 11,528 was the lowest in 19 years. Worse was
to follow as the second game against Shrewsbury Town managed to attract
only 8,741. There was further trouble at the Baseball Ground and both
Derby County and United were found guilty of ‘failing to exercise
proper control over their supporters’. Fortunately, the rest of the
season passed without further incident, undoubtedly much to the relief
of the club.

Events off the field had tended to overshadow those on it, where
United had steadily accumulated the points without ever posing a
serious promotion threat. They finished 8th with 60 points, in the
second season where 3 points were awarded for a win.

November saw Frank Worthington sold to Sunderland for £50,000, while
in March Terry Connor was sold to Brighton for £500,000 with Andy
Ritchie making the reverse trip at a cost of £150,000. Skipper and
long-time servant, Trevor Cherry joined Bradford City as player-manager
for £10,000 and later led them back to the Second Division for the
first time since 1937.United also pocketed £15,000, when Neil Firm
joined Peterborough United, while Brian Flynn’s return to Burnley
brought another £60,000.

Aidan Butterworth was the only United player to register double
figures as he lead the goal-scorers with 11. In March John Lukic had
asked for a transfer and was promptly dropped, so bringing to an end
his record 146 consecutive league games as United custodian. Veteran
David Harvey returned to replace him between the sticks and he duly
departed for Arsenal for a give-away £100,000 in the summer.Only
regulars were Frank Gray 42, Paul Hart, Arthur Graham and Gwyn Thomas
with 39, Aidan Butterworth 37 and Martin Dickinson 31. There were
several youngsters starting to make their mark. Defender Neil Aspin,
Striker Tommy Wright, Winger Mark Gavin, and mid-fielders John Sheridan
and Scott Sellars, all teenagers, sampled first-team football.

In the FA Cup there was a 3-0 romp at home to Preston North End in
the Third Round, followed by an epic 4th Round encounter with Arsenal
which saw a 1-1
draw at Highbury, followed by the same score at Elland Road after extra
time in the replay, before they were finally beaten in the Second
Replay at Highbury 2-1.

In the League Cup in the two legged 2nd Round, United lost 1-0 to
Newcastle United at St James’ before coming through 4-1, after
extra-time, at Elland Road in the second leg. Third Division
Huddersfield Town won the local derby at Elland Road 1-0 in the Third
Round to halt further progress.

The close-season saw stalwarts Arthur Graham, who departed to
Manchester United for a paltry £50,000, and Paul Hart, who joined
Nottingham Forest for an equally derisory £40,000, leave the club,
while Kenny Burns went to Derby County and Brian Greenhoff joined
Rochedale, both on free-transfers. Mid-season Derek Parlane was allowed
to move to Manchester City for £160,000 and Gwyn Thomas went to
Barnsley for £40,000.

The money was re-invested north of the border, as they paid £161,000
for Celtic striker George McCluskey, £60,000 to Aberdeen for midfield
ball-winner Andy Watson and £10,000 to Dumbarton for their midfielder
John Donnelly. They were further strengthened by the return of Peter
Barnes from his Spanish sojourn and
legendary veteran Peter Lorimer.

There was a poor start to the season, when all realistic chance of
promotion was lost. Attendances fell and lack of consistency was
apparent until an all-time low was reached when United were beaten 1-0
at home in the Second Round of the League Cup by Chester, who were
running 92nd out of the 92 Football League clubs, in front of a 8,106
crowd. Total humiliation was averted when United ran out 4-1 victors in
the away leg. Third Division Oxford were not as forgiving and after a
1-1 draw at Elland Road in the Third Round, pulverised United 4-1 in
the Replay.

The FA Cup brought no solace as Allan Clarke’s Third Division
cellar-dwellers Scunthorpe United triumphed in the Third Round. There
was a 1-1 draw at Elland Road before a similar result, after extra-time
in the replay, took the tie to a second replay which Scunthorpe won 4-2.

With no money resulting from the Cups Eddie Gray had to forget
thoughts of adding to his young squad as his plans had been dealt a
severe blow when talented
mid-fielder John Sheridan broke his leg at Barnsley in October.
Thoughts of promotion were unthinkable and it was now a fight against
relegation. With Peter Lorimer pulling the strings in midfield, United
slowly pulled the season round losing only four games in the New Year
and they rose up the league to finish a creditable tenth with 60 points
as Eddie Gray finally hung up his boots after the last game against
Charlton Athletic. Despite severe injuries he had amassed over 550
games for United and, like his 12 Scottish Caps, would have been
substantially increased but for those mid-career injuries.

Eddie, together with Peter Lorimer, who had now broken John Charles’
aggregate League goals record, had done well to foster the fledgling
youngsters. By season’s end Denis Irwin had established himself at
right-back, as had Neil Aspin, in central defence, Scott Sellars, in
left-midfield and Tommy Wright as striker. With the talented John
Sheridan recovering from his injury, and the hooligan element seemingly
in check, the campaign could be considered a success and boded well for
the new season.

With money in short supply, giant centre-half Andy Linighan who was
bought for £20,000 from Hartlepool United, was the only close season
acquisition but John Stiles, Terry Phelan, Peter Swan and Lyndon
Simmonds had signed professional forms. There was further cost cutting
as Coach Barry Murphy and chief scout Syd Owen both departed and Peter
Barnes departed to Coventry City for £65,000.

Hopes were high as the first four games were won as United shot to
the top of the league, but were deflated as the next three games
brought consecutive defeats. While the goals flowed the inconsistency
lasted the whole season as they blew hot and cold to remain on the
fringes of promotion. There was bright attacking football which
produced some fine wins but on other occasions the youngsters were
often out-muscled. Manager Gray did try to beef up his team and the
bustling Ian Baird was recruited from Southampton for £75,000 in March,
which brought a shake-up as Andy Watson was sold to Heart of Midlothian
for £75,000 and John Donnelly joined Partick Thistle for £15,000 after
a loan period. There was a change also in goal where Mervyn Day was
bought from Aston Villa for £30,000 and this meant that the popular
David Harvey who had passed the 350 mark in appearances was freed to
Bradford City and Tony Brown was also freed to Doncaster Rovers.

The robust Baird soon made his presence felt scoring 6 goals in his
first 9 games and United went into the final game at the already
promoted Birmingham City still clinging on to the mathematically
possible promotion. It was to be a sad day for Football and Leeds
United. There was the dual tragedy of the Bradford City fire disaster
which claimed 56 lives, while the game at St Andrews resulted in crowd
trouble and a boy died.

After Birmingham scored the only goal of the game in the first half,
a group of Leeds supporters invaded the pitch and there were skirmishes
with their Birmingham counterparts who had also flooded onto the
playing area. The teams were taken off and mounted police were called
in to quell the riot and clear the field. The game was duly completed,
albeit after a 30 minute delay, under an uneasy atmosphere and as the
game finished and the fans departed a wall collapsed under their weight
and crushed a teenage boy. It was a truly sad day for Football. 96
police were among the injured during the ‘Battle of St Andrews’ 110
appeared before the Birmingham magistrates the following week and the
twin tragedies were followed by the Heysel Stadium tragedy where
Liverpool and Juventus fans clashed resulting in 38 fans being killed
and over 400 injured.

It was back to square one for United in their battle against
hooliganism, which seemed to have been quelled in a relatively
trouble-free previous season and until trouble was reported at Oxford,
Huddersfield and Barnsley before the violent climax at Birmingham put
the future of the club at risk once more.

In the League Cup United had won both their Second Round ties
against Gillingham before a visit before a visit from Watford, who had been
Division One Runners-up in 1982-83, saw a 4-0 home defeat.

The FA Cup brought a 2-0 home defeat by Everton, in the Third Round.

With John Sheridan and Andy Linighan ever-present, Denis Irwin and
Tommy Wright only absent once, Peter Lorimer twice, and Scott Sellars
and Frank Gray three times. The team was starting to become
well-established particularly as Aspin and Hamson also played over 30
games and Harvey and Day had shared the keeping duties and Ritchie and
Baird the centre-forward spot. Tommy Wright had top-scored with 14,
while Andy Ritchie contributed 12.

Unfortunately, rather than the talk of the exciting young talent and
the teams achievements it was more about the Leeds United thugs who
blighted their support. These were times when it was hard for Leeds
fans to lift their heads up high.

United were duly punished with a £5,000 fine for their part in the
St Andrews debacle, and their away fixtures for the season were made
all-ticket. It was not entirely successful but soon troubles on the
pitch were to overshadow them.

In his preparation for the new season Manager Eddie Gray had to let
his brother Frank depart to Sunderland for a much needed £100,000, but
worse was to follow as the team failed to win any of their first five
games. A run of eight games brought only one defeat and it seemed the
storm had been weathered, but, just after a 3-0 win at Walsall had
ensured progress to Round Three of the League Cup, Gray and his
assistant Jimmy Lumsden were sacked on a split decision by the board.
The players were devastated and Peter Lorimer gave the Board a
statement condemning the handling and timing of the decision but
pledged to continue to their best for the club and backed this up by
winning the next game 1-0 at home to Middlesbrough, where the fans
chanted for the re-instatement of Gray and the resignation of the
Chairman. Coach Peter Gunby was put in charge but despite paying
tribute to Eddie Gray’s 22 years of service the directors said that
14th in Division Two was not good enough for a club of United’s
stature. It was quite surprising, really, as Don Revie had a far worse
record in his early tenure as Manager!

One Leeds Legend replaced another as Billy Bremner left Doncaster
Rovers to become the third consecutive former player to be appointed
Manager. The close season had seen Ian Snodin signed for £200,000 from
Bremner’s former club and he wasted no time in appointing him Captain
at the expense of Peter Lorimer, who was released. Lorimer had made a
massive contribution to Leeds United and in his two spells had made 677
starts and 28 substitute appearances scoring a club record 268 goals of
which 168 were in the league.

These were hard times financially and Elland Road was sold to the
Leeds City Council for £2.5 million in exchange for a 125 year lease
and the vision of an improved stadium and the development of the
surrounding area into a sporting complex.

Bremner sold Andy Linighan to Oldham for a mere £55,000, chickenfeed
when one considers the millions his future transfers would bring, while
Martin Dickinson went to West Bromwich Albion for £40,000. They were
replaced by Brendan Ormsby, from Aston Villa for £65,000 and David
Rennie, from Leicester City for a further £50,000, who formed the new
central defensive partnership. Ronnie Robinson joined on a free from
Ipswich Town, and he went back to his former club to bring in Brian
Caswell, for £30,000, and David Harle for £5,000. There were debuts too
for John Stiles, Peter Swan and Bob Taylor from the United Junior
ranks, but several Eddie Gray discoveries such as Denis Irwin, Tommy
Wright, Terry Phelan and Scott Sellars were overlooked.

The hooligan element re-appeared, as there was trouble at The Den in
November and the FA made all Millwall games all-ticket and banned all
Leeds fans from their away games. The implementation of this ban proved
impossible and after several hundred fans attended the ensuing two away
games at Carlisle and Wimbledon, the FA rescinded the ban but all away
games remained all-ticket.

The advent of Bremner had not shown any major improvement in
United’s fortunes and they duly exited the League Cup in the Third
Round 3-0 at home to Aston Villa and were ousted from the FA Cup in the
Third Round, by 1-0 away to 4th Division strugglers Peterborough
United. The new Full-Members Cup saw another quick demise as they lost
at Manchester City 6-1 and drew 1-1 at home to Sheffield United. In the
League United struggled to 14th with 53 points with Ian Baird leading
the goal-scorers with 12, while Andy Ritchie managed 11.

Bremner rang the changes in preparation for his first full season in
charge. Out went many of the young players groomed by Eddie Gray. Denis
Irwin moved to Oldham Athletic for £60,000, and went on to win many
Irish Caps and honours with Manchester United, in a long and
illustrious career. He was soon joined there by Tommy Wright, for
£80,000 while Scott Sellars brought £20,000 when he moved to Blackburn
Rovers. Scott later had a second spell at Leeds when his return cost
£800,000! Terry Phelan was allowed to leave on a free to Swansea City, a
truly poor piece of business as his future transfers were in the £
millions. Also departing was George McCluskey, to Hibernian, and Gary
Hamson, to Bristol City, both on frees, while £10,000 was received for
David Harle, who also joined Bristol City.

There were almost as many players coming in. Prolific scorer Keith
Edwards cost £125,000 from Sheffield United, Newcastle United defender
Peter Haddock cost £40,000, experienced defender Jack Ashurst was
signed from Carlisle United for £35,000 and Bremner returned to his old
club, Doncaster Rovers to pick up Winger John Buckley for £40,000.
Keeper Ronnie Sinclair cost £10,000 from Nottingham Forest, while
Right-Winger Russell Doig cost £15,000 when joining from East
Stirlingshire.

The season was only seven games old when the lunatic fringe reared
their heads once more. The FA, noting an improved behaviour, had lifted
the away all-ticket ban for the short trip to Bradford City, but in the
game, which was played at the unsegregated Odsal Stadium gave the
hooligans licence to roam and fights broke out between the rival
supporters. A fish and chip van was overturned and set alight. The game
was held up for 20 minutes until the ground was emptied and the game
was finished in front of an empty stadium. In order to stamp out the
hooliganism United requested that the all-ticket restrictions be
re-introduced and the FA concurred.

Genuine supporters were pleased with United’s good start to the
season and November saw them handily placed behind Portsmouth and
Oldham Athletic, looking well placed for promotion. But they slipped
badly in the following weeks and a 7-2 defeat at Stoke City had the
alarm bells ringing. Bremner reacted by selling his much sought after
Captain Ian Snodin to Everton for a club record £800,000. The money was
spent on team strengthening with Winger/Full-back Mickey Adams costing
£110,000 from Coventry City, experienced Full-Back Bobby McDonald
£25,000 from Oxford United, while he went to Charlton Athletic and paid
£200,000 for Welsh International Midfielder Mark Aizlewood and £72,000
for beanpole striker John Pearson. It was a big risk to take in
mid-season but gradually the gap was closed on the leading pack as
United sought direct promotion or at worst a play-off position.

The team took on a settled look of Day; Aspin, McDonald; Aizlewood,
Ashurst, Ormsby; Ritchie/Stiles, Sheridan, Pearson, Baird and Adams
with Edwards and Rennie in reserve.

The League Cup had brought a 2nd Round exit, beaten in both legs by
Oldham Athletic, while the Full-Members Cup saw a 1-0 home defeat,
after extra-time to Bradford City in the First Round. So there were no
great expectations, but possible trepidation, in the FA Cup when
Non-League Telford United was drawn for the Third Round. The tie was
switched to the nearby Hawthorns as there was fear that their home
ground could not cope with the dreaded influx of the Leeds fans. Two
goals from the in-form Ian Baird saw Leeds through, in front of
unrivalled police security. There was a 2-1 Mervyn Day-inspired win at
Third Division Swindon Town in the 4th Round, which set up a meeting
with First Division Queens Park Rangers at Elland Road. Thousands were
locked out as a Brendan Ormsby header gave Leeds victory and an away
tie with Third Division Wigan Athletic. On a windswept pitch Mervyn Day
was again in form and was United’s saviour on more than one occasion
before long-range goals from Mickey Adams and John Stiles gave United a
2-0 victory and a place in the Semi-Finals for the first time in ten
years. A sun-drenched Hillsborough was the venue, and a David Rennie
header gave United an early lead. Coventry City could not breach the
United’s defence until Brendan Ormsby elected not to thump the ball
into the crowd and was dispossessed by Dave Bennett who crossed for
Micky Gynn to get the equaliser. Minutes later Keith Houchen gave
Coventry the lead, but Keith Edwards came off the bench to head a late
equaliser and send the game into extra-time.
United gave their all, but Bennett scored the winner in the extra
stanza and Leeds won many friends by their display and more
importantly there was no misbehaviour from their followers. John
Sheridan and Ian Baird led the League scorers with 15 each and they
together with Neil Aspin and Jack Ashurst were the regulars all topping
40 League appearances.

United won five and drew one of their remaining eight fixtures,
finishing 4th on 68 points, which was sufficient for them to join 3rd
placed Oldham Athletic, 5th placed Ipswich Town and 19th placed
First Division Club, Charlton Athletic in the play-offs.

This was the season when the First Division was reduced by one club
to a 21 team competition for the following season when the division
would again be reduced to bring it to its present day 20 clubs.

United had finished seven points behind Oldham Athletic, who had
looked like direct promotion candidates for much of the season. United
had twice lost to them in the League Cup and also at 2-0 at Elland
Road, but an Andy Ritchie goal had seen them win at Boundary Park. So
with Ipswich Town and Charlton Athletic contesting the other half of
the play off, United started second favourites to advance further.
Oldham Athletic included Andy Linighan, Denis Irwin and Tommy Wright,
all Bremner rejects, and there were some desperate moments before Keith
Edwards came off the bench to give United a late winner at Elland Road.
In the return leg, Gary Williams soon gave Oldham the lead on their
home soil. It looked all over for United as Mike Cecere gave Oldham the
aggregate lead with a few minutes to go, but super-sub Keith Edwards
levelled the aggregate score straight from the kick-off and United hung
on in desperation to keep extra-time scoreless and United were through
on the away rule and advanced to meet Charlton Athletic who had
eliminated Ipswich Town.

Once more tension and late goals kept the fans on the edge of their
seats. A dour game at the Valley had seen a Jim Melrose goal give
Charlton Athletic a 1-0 victory. A white-hot Elland Road greeted the
teams and Brendan Ormsby got the final touch to a Bob Taylor shot as
United levelled the aggregate score 1-0.

The final game of a long hard season took place at St Andrews
Birmingham, the neutral venue for the final deciding play-off. The game
was 0-0 at the end of ordinary time, but John Sheridan, who had had a
superb season, gave United the lead in the first-half of extra time
with a curling free-kick. Unfortunately, United, who had lost defensive
lynchpin Brendan Ormsby injured in normal time, could not hang on and
Peter Shirtliff scored twice in the final minutes. It was a sad end to
a remarkable season which saw United literally minutes from both
Wembley and promotion. Echoes of past glories had been awoken and Billy
Bremner was given an extended contract to lead United back to the First
Division.

After their previous years exploits United were firmly installed as
promotion favourites by the bookies, in a season which saw multiple
tactical substitutions allowed for the first time. Bremner went into
the
market and bought Full-Back/Midfielder Glynn Snodin, brother of former
skipper Ian, from Sheffield Wednesday for £150,000 and Aston Villa’s
Full-Back Gary Williams for £230,000, but surprisingly allowed chief
strikers Ian Baird, to leave for promoted Portsmouth for £285,000, and
Andy Ritchie, who joined the ever growing band of ex-Leeds players at
Oldham Athletic fora give-away £50,000.

Brendan
Ormsby was ruled out for the season with cartilage trouble and Mark
Aizlewood took over his skipper’s armband.

United were off to a dismal start, with only single John
Sheridan-scored goal victories over Leicester City and West Bromwich
Albion in their first nine games, in which only three goals were
scored. It was
therefore, surprising when Keith Edwards departed for Aberdeen for a
mere £60,000. Jim Melrose arrived from Charlton Athletic for £50,000
but was not a success and after only three full games departed to
Shrewsbury Town for a similar amount later in the season. There was a
similar happening as midfielder Ken De Mange arrived from Liverpool for
£65,000 to disappear to Hull City for the same amount, after only
slightly more than a dozen appearances.

Billy Bremner tried to solve his lack of goals by switching reserve
defender Peter Swan to a striking role, which worked temporarily but it
wasn’t until Bobby Davison was bought from Derby County for £350,000
that the problem was solved.

The League Cup saw a 1-1 home draw against Third Division relegation
contenders York City before a 4-0 away victory carried them through to
the Third Round and yet another meeting with old adversaries Oldham
Athletic. After a 2-2 draw at Elland Road, they were beaten 4-2 at
Boundary Park, in the replay.

The Full-Members Cup had been renamed the Simod Cup but it brought
no change of fortune as although they beat lowly Sheffield United 3-0
in the First Round, a trip to The Den saw a 2-0 defeat at the hands
of Millwall.

Aston Villa was 2-1 victors at Elland Road to stop United’s progress
in the Third Round of the FA Cup.

United put together a fine run of five wins in December and the
visit of local rivals and promotion aspirants Bradford City on New
Years’ Day saw an unusually high attendance of 36,004 witness a fine
2-0 United victory . Just when the sleeping giant seemed ready to
reawaken, United fell into a deep sleep and lost contact with the
leading pack. Not even the return of Ian Baird from Portsmouth for a
bargain £180,000 could get United back into the promotion race and the
season fizzled to a disappointing end with United 7th on 69
points, with midfielder John Sheridan leading the marksmen with a
dozen.. It had been a
season of anti-climax, with many of Bremner’s signings big
disappointments, but it did see the emergence of several youngsters,
with one shining brightest of all, a man caste in the Billy Bremner
mould, Leeds-born David Batty.

Despite the feeling of anti-climax at the end of the previous
season, the supporters showed their faith and season ticket sales for
the new season hit the £500,000 mark.

Billy Bremner raided impoverished newly relegated Portsmouth. As
Brendan Ormsby was struggling to find full-fitness he pounced to take
Centre-Half Noel Blake on a free, while he put in a £70,000 bid for
Vince Hilaire, the former Crystal Palace, England ‘B’ and under-21
International, who Portsmouth valued at £270,000. The fee went to a
tribunal and was settled at £170,000.

Coincidentally, United’s first away game was at Portsmouth and the
ex-Portsmouth trio, of the aforementioned and Ian Baird, made an
unhappy return to Fratton Park as their new team was on the end of a
4-0 thrashing and to make Ian Baird’s return even the more miserable,
he was sent off.

Only one game was won from the first six league games and despite a
2-1 win at Peterborough United in the first leg of the Second Round of
the League Cup and Billy Bremner and his Dave Bentley and chief scout
Dave Blakey were axed, leaving coach Peter Gunby in temporary charge
pending the appointment of a new Manager.

Bremner had not been able to fulfil the promise shown in 1986-87 but
had restored some pride into the sleeping giant. It now remained for
the right person to take the club back to its place among the elite.
The man proved to be someone close to home. Howard Wilkinson, Manager
of Yorkshire neighbours Sheffield Wednesday.